Mixing-machine.



T. J. STURTEVANT.

MIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. I. 1916.

Patented tIuly 24, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 atroz neig-d,

TED STATES PATENT FFTE,

THOMAS J'. STURTEVANT, OF W'ELLESLEY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO STURTEVANT MILL COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F MAINE.

MIXING-MACHINE.

Application led October *7, 1916.

To all al1/1,0m t may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. S'rnn'rnvixNr, a citizen of the United States, residing at llVellesley, in the county of Norfolk and State of ll/Iassachusetts, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Mixing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to` the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates fito a mixing machine more especially `intended for use a fertilizer mixer, but also capable of use in mixing other materiale, either dry or wet, as in mixing paint in dry form, or as in mixing mortar or concrete. The invention has for its object to provide an efficient mixer preferably comprising a rotating drum or cylinder provided with internal wings or blades for carrying and mixing the materials fed thereto from a suitable hopper, the construction of the parts preferably being such that when the 4drum or cylinder is rotated in one direction the materials being mixed will be retained therein, and when a batch of material has been suitably mixed such mixed material may be discharged from the mixing chamber simply by reversing the rotation of the rotating drum or cylinder. 1n mixing dry materials, which are usually in comminuted or pulverized form, it is desirable that no dust or gases should escape fromthe mixer, as such dust and gases are disagreeable and often injurious to the workmen; and to this end the rotating drum or cylinder is preferably inclosed in a tight chamber from which dust and gases cannot escape, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

ln the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a mixing machine embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same look- .ing from the right of Fig. 1, Figt 3 is a detail horizontal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, on line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a form of rotary mixer slightly different from, that shown in Fig. 1. Referring to the drawings, 12 denotes a driving shaft, journaled in suitable standards 13 and 14, said shaft being provided with loosepulleys `15 and 16 and an intermediate xed or tight pulley 17. The. shaft 12 may be driven in either direction from a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 1917.

Serial No. 124,333.

power shaft 13 supported by hangers 19 andcarrying a wide belt pulley 20 from which the shaft 12 is driven through the medium of plain and crossed belts 21 and 22. Thus when the plain belt 21 is running on the tight pulley 17 the shaft 12 will be rotated in one direction; but when, through the medium of a belt shifter 23 operated by a lever 24, the plain belt 21 is shifted to the loose pulley 16, and the crossed belt 22 is shifted from the loose pulley 15 to the tight pulley 17, the direction of rotation of the shaft 12 will be reversed, as will be understood. The belt shifter 23 is supported at one end by a standard 24a having a guideway or loop 24b in which said belt shifter slides.

The shaft 12 is provided with a pinion 25 meshing with a gear 26 which is suitably attached to the mixing drum or cylinder' 27, said drum or cylinder being preferably provided internally with inclined or spiral wings or blades 28. One end of said drum or cylinder isfully or partly open while the opposite end thereof is closed by a head 27a to which the gear 26 is attached by bolts 23, said bolts passing through a flange 29 of a bearing sleeve 30 so that said sleeve is thus rigidly secured to the said head 27a. The bearing sleeve 3() encircles an overhung shaft 31 provided with a flange 32 by which it is attached to a supporting standard 33 so that the drum or cylinder 27 is thus rotatably mounted on said shaft 31, and is supported at its closed end, leaving the opposite open or partly open end unencumbered so that materials to be mixed may be introduced into the said drum or cylinder through the open or partly open end of the latter without interfering with the means for rota tively supporting the mixer.

The mixing drum or cylinder 27 is inclosed by a housing or casing 34 so as to provide a dust-proof and practically gastight-chamber in which said drum or cylinder rotates, the said housing or casing being preferably of sheet metal and being' somewhat longer than the said drum or cylinder, thus allowing a suitable space at the open end of the said drum or cylinder for the discharge of mixed material into a suitable receptacle preferably in the form of a bin or hopper 35, which is attached to said housing` and which, is preferably vprovided at its bottom with a sliding gate 3G which may be opened when material is to be discharged from said bin or hopper. At one end of thehousing 34: is mounted a feed hopper 37 having a spout 38 extending into the mixing cylinder 27 through the kopen or partly open end thereof said housing being Otherwise imperforate opposite thek open end of said mixing cylinder to provide a solid splash board which will direct thematerial discharged from said cylinder into said hopper. The feed yof the material from said hopper to said spout is preferably governed by a sliding gate 39 provided with a rack 40 meshing with a pinion il on a shaft 43 having a hand wheel 43a by which said shaft may be turned to open and close saidk gate 39.

When a batch of material to be mixed khas been discharged from the feed hopper 37 into the mixing cylinder said gate 39 may be closed to prevent the escape of dust; and when the batch of material has been properly mixed the direction of rotation of the mixing drum or cylinder may be reversed by operating the belt-shifting lever 24 and the mixed material will then, by the action of the spiral mixing and carrying wings or blades 28 be discharged from the open end of said drum or cylinder into the hopper 35. This discharge operation is due to the 'fact that the spiral wings or blades 28 are all inclined in one direction, so that when the mixing cylinder is rotatedin one direction the material being mixed will be carried inward toward the closed end of the cylinder, and when said cylinder is rotated in the opposite direction the mixed material will be discharged from the yopen end ofsaid cylinder.

Instead of making the mixing drum or cylinder in the form shown in Fig. l it may be made inthe form shown in Fig. 4E by being provided at its open end with a frustoconical portion 27h which will enable the cylinder to hold more material without spilling over than can be held by the Lform 0f cylinder shown in Fig. l.y This form of mixing drum will not spill in mixing wet or semi-liquid materials until rotations are reversed for discharging.

The shaft 31 is preferably formed hollow, thus affording a passage for lubricating oil supplied from an oil cup 44 to a pipe 45 extending into said hollow shaft so that oil may pass through said shaft to the closed end of the bearing sleeve 30 and thus lubricate thebearing for said cylinder on said shaft. f

From the foregoing it will be understood that ythe invention provides an improved mixer in which the mixing operation may be carried on in a closed chamber from which dust and injurious'gases cannot rescape, and which mixer is of such construction that the mixed material may be quickly and conveniently discharged from the mixing drum or cylinder simply by reversing the direction of rotation of the latter, the

material, in the mixing operation, being advanced or fed inward toward the closed end of the said drum or cylinder by the spiral carrying blades or wings when the said drum or cylinder is rotated in one direction, and beingy fed outward and discharged when the direction of rotation of the drum or cylinder is reversed.

The invention is not to be understood as being limited to the details herein shown by way of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the' invention, as such details may be varied widely, within the province of mechanical skill, without departing from the essence of the invention. stead ofthe reversible belt gearing herein yshown and described for rotating the mixer in opposite directions other equivalent reversible gearing might be employed, and the particular forms of internal mixing and carrying wings or bladesin the drum or cylinder herein shown might be varied, or other dischargingmeans than those herein described might be used in connection with otherfeatures of the invention. Also the inclosing. housing or casing, to prevent the kescape of dust or gases, might be employed For example, in

in connection with other formsy of rotary mixers from those herein shown and described, as will beunderstood.

Having thus described my invention I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. The combination with a rotary drum or cylinder having open and closed ends and provided internally with means for discharging mixed material from said open end, of a dust-tight housing inclosing said drum or cylinder and providing a chamber of greater length than said drum or cylinder, thus affording a discharge space at the open end of said drum or cylinder, and means for rotating said drum or cylinder in opposite directions for mixing and dischargyinclosing said drum or cylinder and of greater length than the latter, an overhung or stub shaft affording a bearing for said sleeve, said shaft extending within said cylinder through said housing, and a support for said shaft outside of said housing.

3. ln a mixing machine, the combination with a substantially horizontally disposed rotaryk mixing cylinder provided with closed and open ends, respectively, and having means for mixing'materials when rotated in one direction and for mixing and disohm'ging material through said open end end to provide a solid splash board which when rotated in the opposite direction, of is spaced from said open ond to provide a a dust-tight casing inclosing said cylinder, discharge opening Within said casing, and 10 n, inaterizil-supplying device, projecting means for rotating said Cylinder in oppo- 5 through said casing and into said cylinder site directions.

through said open end, Said Casing boing In testimony whereof I affix my signature. otherwise ilnpei'forate opposite said open THOMAS JOSEPH STURTEVANT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained 4for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

